Instrument for transmitting audible time-signals



(No Model.)

J. R. ETTER.

INSTRUMEN FOR TRANSMITTING AUDIBLE TIME SIGNALS. No. 357,310. Patented Fe b.8,188'7.

ISM/0n W IMIIIMIM W 1 PETERS Fh lrrlilhugnphor. Washington, n:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB R. ETTEB, OF ORAVFORDSVILLE, INDIANA.

INSTRUMENT FOR TRANSMITTING AUDIBLE TIME-SIGNALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,310, dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed April 12, 1886. Serial No. 198,654. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JACOB R. ETTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crawfordsville, in the county of Montgomery and a simple mechanism for automatically opening and closing a normally-closed electric circuit, thereby giving simultaneously at each of a series of stations connected with said circuit two distinct kinds of signals-the first being a call-signal to attract the attention of the operators,and the second being a time-signal said mechanism being connected With and controlled by a timepiece located near the machine, all as hereinafter fully described.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention, Figure 1 representing a side elevation of a time-piece and my machine and a series of stations. Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine.

A is a frame having suitable bearings, in which are mounted so as to revolve the shafts b and c. On shaft 1) are secured thegcar-wheel d, the stop-wheel e, carrying camsf and g, and the drum h. On shaft 0 are secured the pinion i, which intermeshes With the gearwheel d, and the signal-wheels j and Ir. The periphery of wheel j is provided with a series of projections, m, regularly arranged, and the periphery of wheel is is provided with a series of depressions, n n, of unequal length, and preferably arranged relatively to correspond to portions of the Morse code of telegraphic signals. Those shown in the drawings represent the Morse signals forthe figure 12. I

B and 0 represent opposed terminals of the electric circuit Z, in which are a series of stations. Terminal B is secured to a fixed support, 0, forming a part of the frame A. Terminal O is secured to a lever, 11, which is rigidly secured to the shaft r, which is arranged pivoted to the frame at u.

to slide longitudinally in bearings formed in the frame A. One end of lever 11 is adapted to engage either of the signal-wheels, the arrangement being such that both of said wheels cannot be engaged by the lever at the same time.

The terminals B and O are held normally in contact, so that the electric circuit is closed, by the spring t. Shaft r is caused to slide in its bearings, and the position of lever 19 is thereby changed, so that its inner end will engage the wheel and be disengaged from the wheelj by means of the lever D, which is One end of said lever engages a pin, a, projecting from the shaft, and the other end engages either of the camsf and g as wheel 6 revolves. Lever D is held by the spring 8 against the side ofwheel e in the path of cams fand 9, so that lever 12 engages wheel Motion is imparted to shaft 6 and the wheels connected therewith by means of a weight not shown) suspended from the drum h, or by a spring coiled thereon. Said shaft and its connected wheels are held at rest by the locking-wire E, which engages the notch 10 in wheel 6. Locking-wire E is raised and thereby disengaged from wheel e by means ofa lever, F, mounted in the clock H and arranged to engage the cam-wheel x, which is mounted on the hour-handshaft of the clock, so as to revolve therewith in the manner usual in alarm-clocks. Lever F and pawl E are connected by a rod or cord,

The operation of my device is as follows: The machine being at rest, the lever 9 rests on the periphery of the signal-wheel j, and terminals B and O are in contact. The circuit being unbroken at the point where the machine is introduced, communication over the line goes on as usual until the circuit is broken by the lifting of lever 19. This is arranged to occur, as shown in the drawings, when the clock indicates the hour of twelve; but it may be arranged to occur at any hour desired by turning the cam-wheel 00 on the hour-hand shaft. At this point the inner end of leverF falls and locking-wire E is raised, thereby releasing shaft 1) and the train of gears connected therewith. Wheels d and 6 turn in the direction indicated by the arrow, and the signal- IOO wheels j and 7; are rcvolvedin the opposite direction. As wheel j revolves, the projections or operate to raise the lever p, and thereby open and close the circuit at regular intervals, thus calling the operator at each station along the line. NVhen the wheel 0 has nearly completed a half-revolution, cam f engages the switch-lever D, thereby shifting lever p from wheel j to wheel 7c, and the Morse signal 12 is then given, being repeated until the wheel 6 has completed its half-revolution, whenlocking-wire E again falls into a notch like 10 in the wheel, and the line is restored to its normal condition.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an automatic signaling apparatus, the combination of a train of gear-wheels and shafts mounted in a suitable supporting-frame, two wheels having each a series of peripheral projections differently arranged on the two wheels and mounted side by side on one of said shafts, so as to revolve therewith, a lever carrying one of the terminals of a normallyclosed electric circuit and arranged to engage the projections on either of said wheels, a cam-wheel arranged to revolve with said train crate in the manner and for the purpose spcci 3. In an automatic signaling apparatus, shafts I) and c, gear-wheel cl, pinion t, signalwheels j and 7c, and lever 19, switehing-lever D, sliding shaft 1, spring 8, and wheel 0, having cam f, all combined and arranged to co operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

JACOB It. E'ITER.

' \Vitnesses:

N. J. CLODFELTER, G120. A. HANMORE. 

